


So Close

by LesbianArsenal



Category: DCU (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mentions of alcoholism, Mentions of sleep paralysis, Strong Language, Undercover as Married, mild action violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 16:36:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17247674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianArsenal/pseuds/LesbianArsenal
Summary: Jason and Roy go undercover to infiltrate a Charity Gala they know is being attended by some of Gotham's most wanted. Things don't go as planned, but...maybe they do?





	So Close

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jeanluke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeanluke/gifts).



> This is for the lovely @thejasontodd on tumblr for a Gift Exchange!! I hope you love it, queen!

Jason adjusted his tie like it had offended him. His hands shook a little as he did it and he closed them into fists. It was the tie Roy had picked out for him.

 

_“Blue suits you, Jaybird,” Roy had said, smiling like the sun was shining through his eyes._

_“I have a brother who would disagree.”_

_Roy laughed and held up another tie, this one a brighter blue, like the sky on an infrequent cloudless day in Gotham. “Look, it brings out those blue specks in your eyes. Get this one.”_

_Jason couldn’t refuse, and he also couldn’t get the feeling of Roy’s fingers brushing his neck off his mind after that._

 

Thinking about that day made Jason’s hand shake more. What was he doing? Why was he going along with this plan? He had to get a handle on his nervous energy quickly before-

“Jaybird, you ready to jet?”

Jason whipped his head around and had to stop himself from dropping his jaw. The deep red dress shirt clung to his biceps. Jason’s eyes were drawn to the wrist, casually resting on his shoulder and holding his suit jacket.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, didn’t Alfred teach you how to tie a tie?”

Jason self consciously looked down at the knot in disarray on his chest. Roy sighed dramatically and threw his suit jacket on the desk chair next to him. Jason tried not to hold his breath as Roy carefully unknotted the mess. He tried not to watch how Roy’s hands flexed as he re-tied it.

“I can tie my own tie.” His voice was a bit more biting than he intended. Perhaps over compensating for the loud thumping in his chest he prayed Roy couldn’t feel.

“Evidence suggests otherwise.”

“Should we…” He coughed, trying to reign in his voice, “Should we go over the plan again?”

Roy rolled his eyes and patted the newly knotted tie. Was his hand lingering? It felt lingering. Jason tried to read the emotions in Roy’s face, but as always, he couldn’t figure out what the man was really thinking.

“We’ve gone over the plan a thousand times, relax, this is info recon, it’s the easy part. The Roybots are gonna do most the work anyway. You just have to work on being pleasant.”

“I’m plenty pleasant.”

Roy let out a laugh that echoed through the warehouse. Jason huffed, but inside he wanted to hear that laugh a thousand more times. It was the genuine one, not the one Roy made when he felt he had to. This one wasn’t hollow, wasn’t a façade. This one was the one that set Jason’s skin on fire.

“Don’t laugh at me, I can be charming if I want to be.”

“You did charm the pants off me.” Roy winked and turned to grab his jacket from the chair.

Jason was trying to get his brain to function again. Focus on the mission. Focus on getting into the gala. Focus on getting the information they needed. Focus on extraction. Focus on Roy’s ass. Wait.

“Let’s get going, we don’t want to show up too late it’ll be suspicious.” Jason brushed past Roy and stalked over to door. He could do this.

“Well wait for your trophy husband, Doctor Walters!”

 

_“The plan is simple, we get into the gala by impersonating investors, we send a little recon bot to go copy the hard drive, and we mingle and get info about the next transaction.”_

_Something about the tone of Roy’s voice made Jason feel at ease, though one detail of the plan was bothering him._

_“How do we choose who to impersonate? We barely have any solid information on the people who will be attending.”_

_“Ah! For that, I reached out to a friend of friend.” Roy rummaged around on his work station for a moment, brushing off some bits of wiring onto the floor. He held a few IDs up triumphantly. “Doctor and Mister Elijah Walters.”_

_Jason’s expression soured a moment and he grabbed the IDs out of Roy’s hands._

_“How do we know even know they won’t show up? We committing a doctor-napping?“_

_“My guy’s got connections to them, says he can work his magic to make sure they don’t come and that we take their places.”_

_Jason looked down at the IDs. Up at Roy. Back at the IDs._

_“You seem skeptical.”_

_“You could say that. Who’s this contact? Why didn’t you tell me about them?” If Jason was hurt about being left out the loop, he tried not to let it show in his tone._

_Roy sighed. He folded his arms and slid one leg over the other. Oh, Jason knew that pose. That was Roy’s ‘I would curl up into a ball right now, but this is easier’ pose. Only a few things would make Roy take that pose. Asking him where he goes on Monday nights, bringing up Ollie, and-_

_“Dick.”_

_Roy nodded._

_“A friend of Dick’s.”_

_Roy nodded again._

_“God damnit, Harper, why would you go to him? It’s not like he cares! I don’t need help from-”_

_Jason stopped short as Roy was suddenly kneeling in front of him. A hand found his knee. Another found his calf. Jason let the touch calm him down. Like a warm feeling traveled through his body. Like a hint of lavender on a breezy day._

_“I didn’t go to him, I went to a friend of a friend of his. Friend of a friend owed me a favor, got me in contact. I’m playing by your rules Jaybrid, not his.”_

_A deep breath in. A deep breath out. His fingers hovered near where Roy’s rested on his knee. Only a few centimeters and they could be entwined. He picked the IDs back up instead._

_“Well, at least they do look similar to us.”_

_“That’s the spirit!” Roy jumped up and smiled._

_“Wait…” Jason read the names on the IDs again. And again. And one more time to make sure he could still read. “Are they brothers?”_

_“No! Married. Gotta act like you like me for one night.”_

_Roy winked._

_Jason felt his heart stop._

“After you, darling.” Jason held the door open for Roy as he climbed out of the car. Roy made a little show of running his hand down Jason’s arm as he passed.

Jason was wondering if he was going to survive the night.

They linked arms and headed for the door. A few people were milling around the entrance. A woman with a long black dress, looked around 50, smoking a cigarette. A younger man with what smelled like a Cuban cigar in his mouth. A large man at the door with an ear piece.

Jason smiled, trying to fall into the role. They walked up, and Jason held up his phone with the invitation on it. The door man looked at the invite and motioned for them to raise their arms. They both did so and were patted down. Jason hated leaving his guns in a room full of criminals, but he had faith that if anything _did_ happen that Roy would live up to his codename.

“Doctor Walters, wonderful to see you. Down the hall and to your left, the Ballroom is hard to miss. Enjoy your evening.”

The doorman pressed a link on the invite on the phone and it deleted itself. Jason made a note to ask Roy later if he had found anything in connection with the IP address later. It had been a proxy email, and likely the IP was as well, but more often then not Roy surprised Jason with his skills.

“Thank you.”

Roy rested his head on Jason’s shoulder for a moment. They walked into the building, but not before Jason noticed the young man with the cigar tracking them with his eyes.

Roy rubbed two circles into Jason’s arm. _Eyes._

Jason tapped his side once. _I know._

The building was nice, which was expected. Roughly one hundred investors had been invited to a charity gala, surely the building would be accordingly fancy. That wasn’t what had set off Jason’s need to be here though. One name on the list was. Renald Ivanko.

Word had it that he had been nearly murdered by Catwoman a few years back but seemed to be on the rise in shady circles since. They had associated him with a drug that was being laced with dangerous fillers a few weeks back and were hoping to get a list of his accomplices.

Roy stumbled before getting to the door of the ballroom. A misdirection. Jason knew the tiny Roybots were scattering in the other direction. A few people leaned over to help, but Jason helped him back up.

“You really do have to be more careful.” Jason leaned over to check Roy’s ankle but was swatted at playfully.

“Damn new shoes, you’d think I’d be used to breaking them in by now, don’t you think?” Roy cupped his hand on Jason’s face and Jason felt his stomach flip.

“I do spoil you, don’t I?”

“Oh, you two are absolutely adorable!” A woman, young, maybe 35, black hair straightened to and edge and a neckline Jason wasn’t sure even Selina would try. “Do come have some champagne with us. My wife is just over here, we’re dying to speak to,” She leaned in here, and stage whispered, “anyone not straight.”

Jason genuinely chuckled.

“These things are usually so boring,” Roy whined, “I’m so glad we’ve already been found by the cool table.”

The woman laughed and stuck out her hand. “Fen Zhu, wonderful to meet you. Come, meet my wife.”

Jason placed his hand on the small of Roy’s back. _Be careful._

A woman with bright red hair and a bored expression seemed to be their destination. The woman perked up at the sight of them. “Fen, who did you find?”

Jason held out his hand first. “Elijah Walters, and my husband, Jordan.”

“Oh! Delighted! I’m Maggie, hopefully you two help liven up our evening. These things are so….”

“Boring?” Roy smirked. The smirk that lifted his eyebrow just a bit over the other and turned his features asymmetrically. Jason tried not to remember how this angle made Roy’s nose look straight again.

“Yes! Exactly! It’s so hard being the tag along.”

“You’re never just a tag along, Maggie, please.”

“Ah, that’s what Elijah says too.” Roy’s face was close to Jason’s. He could feel the hot breath on his ear. Roy bumped his nose a little into the side of Jason’s face and only thanks to years of training with both Bruce and Talia allowed him to fight back his blush.

“But we know it isn’t true! They just like us to look pretty while they talk _business_.” The word sounded like trying to walk through a sticker bush.

“It’s not all bad, at least we get to look pretty, right?” Roy laughed.

Jason allowed Roy to do most of the talking. Between the two of them, Roy was much better at people. Jason tried to continue to scan the crowd, taking note of every entrance and exit, every security guard, every waiter with a tray of champagne.

“Oh, this is the ’90 vintage, oh such a great year for German Riesling, please, try some it’s delicious.” Maggie held the glass directly under Roy’s nose and Jason could feel Roy tense before it happened.

 

_“You’ll be okay? At a party made for getting rich people drunk?” Jason was skeptical of this part of the plan. Sure, Roy had carried him out of a bar or two, but that was before….before Jason had even known._

_Roy waved it off. “Of course. Eight months, give or take a day. Besides, I’ll have you with me. Who needs a drink when I’ve got you?”_

“Jordan doesn’t drink,” Jason’s words were sickly sweet, hoping the coating was enough to distract from the fear running through his veins. “Says it ruins his figure.”

“Ha! Doubt anything could ruin a body like that,” Maggie laughed, but put the glass back on the tray.

“If you’re looking to steal him, you’ll have to do better than that.”

“Oh honey, if I was trying you wouldn’t stand a chance.” Something about Maggie’s words were chilling.

“You’d be barking up the wrong tree, I’m afraid. I’m a one-man kind of guy.” Roy’s words cut through the tension Jason had probably created in his mind. Roy gave a quick kiss to Jason’s ear. A barely audible ‘thank you’ whispered in passing and Jason couldn’t control the reaction it gave him.

“Oh, look at them, Fen. Four years and the magic’s still alive. This is why I campaigned for that marriage bill.”

“Oh yes, them, and not us. Of course, sugar.”

The conversation floated to a wild story of how Maggie had seemingly single handedly saved gay marriage. Jason wondered what it was Maggie and Fen actually did. Everyone in this room most likely had under the table deals, swiss bank accounts, and a pile of bodies of in their wake.

Jason scanned the room again, trying to get eyes on Ivanko. After a few more minutes of conversation about the workings of Gotham politics, Jason noticed the woman from outside slip into a back room. He watched for a while longer and noticed a few more people shuffle into the room. Leave it to Gotham’s criminals to take ‘back room deals’ literally.

“I’m sure you two make up for lost time when you get to the bedroom.”

Jason’s attention whipped back to the conversation.

“A gentleman never tells, but I will say that’s accurate.”

Roy’s arm snaked up Jason’s back. As if on pure instinct, Jason leaned into the touch and reached out for Roy’s hips. Pressed into each other now, Jason could smell the distinct notions of Roy. The shampoo they shared, the faint but still present whiff of oil, the ridiculously named deodorant he loved.

 

_“It’ll be fine,” Roy assured, pressed into Jason’s back. “I’m here, you’re here, it’s okay.”_

_Jason tried to ground himself tried to force himself to move._

_“Relax, relax. Breath. In and out. You’re here.”_

_Jason’s muscles twitched. He waned to scream but he couldn’t open his mouth._

_“See? We’re in the warehouse. You’re safe. You’re with me.”_

_Roy’s gentle grip on Jason shifted and Jason could feel himself relax. He took a deep breath in. A slow breath out. Gradually, his arms loosened._

_“That’s it, you can do it. Focus on me. Focus on the now.”_

_Jason took another deep breath in. He could smell the coffee Roy had probably drank a little too much of trying to stay up to finish whatever project he had been working on. He could smell the grease that coated Roy’s clothes. He could smell the evidence that Roy hadn’t slept or showered today. None of them were objectively nice smells but combined…they were home. They were Roy._

_“Thank you,” Jason managed to say as his muscles returned control to him._

_“Of course, Jaybird. What else are friends for?”_

_Now that the panic of his sleep paralysis had passed, he realized Roy hadn’t moved away. Taking a chance, Jason turned so their faces were almost touching. A few inches and they would be. Jason stared into Roy’s eyes, green as the could be. Flecks of gold littered his irises and Jason realized this is the closest he’d ever been to them. He leaned in slightly._

_“How about I make some breakfast, yeah? How’s eggs and toast sound?” Roy moved away and slid off the bed._

_Jason just nodded. Had he ruined it? Had he imagined the electricity running over his skin? Had he read it wrong? Roy saw him as a friend, his best friend. And Roy was the best friend Jason ever had. Why did his stupid heart keep trying to ruin that?_

“In conclusion, I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your evening, enjoy the free alcohol and food and be generous with your donations!”

Laughter filled the air along with applause as the presenter stepped down off the stage. Jason made a show of taking out his checkbook at the same time Fen took hers out. Whatever check he wrote, it would bounce by morning, but hopefully that would give them enough time to go through whatever data the Roybots could bring them back.

“If you would excuse me ladies, I’ll be back in a moment.” Roy got up, giving Jason’s shoulder a squeeze before excusing himself out of the ballroom.

“He always hates this part, seeing the money leave,” Jason joked.

Fen gave him a chuckle. “Don’t we all?”

“I should go check on him though, try not to miss our riveting company too much.”

Maggie winked and gave a low whistle. Jason laughed, touching his finger to his nose as Maggie did the same.

Once out of the ballroom, it was easy to find the restroom a few feet down the hall.

“Jordan?” Jason called.

“It’s clear.”

“Oh, thank fuck. I hate undercover. Have you got any info yet?”

Jason walked up to Roy and slipped behind him, reading the screen of his phone.

“Yeah, found a few not-so-tech-savvy people with their blue tooth turned on as well. Got phone contacts and emails. A lot of info to sort through when we get out of here.”

“That’s good, though. More to work with is never a bad thing.”

“Yeah, there’s a computer that’s heavily encrypted somewhere. It might take another hour to crack for the bot working on it.”

“I believe in your little Roybots.” Jason leaned his chin on Roy’s shoulder. He felt Roy stiffen. He removed his chin.

Dammit. Jason had grown used to the casual touches they had shared through the night. Where was his head?

“Thought you said you hated undercover? Complimenting my Roybots…” Roy’s voice had a strange ring to it in the large bathroom. Reminded Jason of how it echoes in the sparse warehouse.

“Easier to stay in character.” A flimsy excuse, but he hoped it would be enough.

“Right,” Roy typed in a few passcodes on his phone and then locked it. “In character.”

If Jason didn’t know better, he would have thought the words were almost sad. His wishful thinking was really getting the better of him today.

“Well, we better get back out there before they really do think we’re going at it in here.” Roy moved slightly to leave, but stopped. Jason felt his heart stop at the same time.

“Jaybird…”

The air was thick. It was like trying to swallow water. Jason felt transported, floating. Out of his element.

“Yeah?” _Tell me it’s not a character. Call me out. Acknowledge how I feel because I’m scared to._

The door to the bathroom opened and the cigar man from earlier walked in and headed for a urinal. Quick to keep their cover, Jason adjusted his tie a little and coughed.

“Come on, don’t want to keep our new friends waiting too long for us.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure they’re bored to tears without us,” Roy laughed. He linked his arm through Jason’s and the unsaid words hung between them like ghosts.

Jason leaned over to nuzzle his face in Roy’s neck. _Make sure our cover isn’t blown._

Roy leaned his head onto Jason’s. _I think we’re okay._

 

_Jason had never worked with someone like Roy. With Bruce, all the signals were taught. Echoes of a past relationship. Unnatural for Jason, but learned non-the-less. With Talia, she had been strict, adding new signals, new tells, but they were the League’s, not his. With Roy…_

_Roy would look at him and Jason could know anything. Jason would tap Roy’s back and Roy would get the message. They had never even discussed the communication, it was just…natural._

_It was their own. The only problem Jason had with it, was that it was very tactile. Roy liked to touch. Liked to be touched. And Jason liked to touch. Jason liked to touch too much._

“Boys! You’re back just in time, we’re dancing!” Maggie called, waving them back over to the table. Fen seemed a bit stiffer than she had been a few minutes ago. What had changed? Her body language was different, but Maggie’s wasn’t. Maybe a fight?

Maggie practically dragged them both to the dance floor, a few couples waltzing, a few pretending to know how. Roy put his hand on Jason’s shoulder and Jason quirked an eyebrow. Roy smirked back. Jason’s hand found its way to Roy’s waist.

“Letting me lead for once, I see,” Jason teased.

The double meaning was not lost on Roy as he laughed that genuine, from the belly, wonderful laugh again. “For one night only.”

“Trouble in paradise, boys?” Maggie asked as she was swept past them by Fen.

“Never, how could there be trouble when you’re so in love?”

Jason heard the words, but they rattled around a bit in his brain first, hitting all sorts of spots that he kept thoughts he didn’t want to think. Love. When you’re in love.

Roy was looking at him with that same expression he had been in the bathroom. For all the ways they could communicate silently, reading what Roy was really thinking under all the strategy and training was still hard for Jason. Roy liked everyone to believe what he wanted them to, nothing deeper.

Jason took a deep breath and pulled Roy closer to himself. Roy effortlessly fit into his embrace. Foreheads touching, Jason closed his eyes. Even if it was just for the mission, Jason wanted to remember this moment. Wanted to sear it into his mind. Wanted to….

Roy moved first, nudging Jason’s nose with his own. Jason’s eyes flicked open and they were met with a questioning look. _Is this okay?_

Jason wanted to scream yes, but his face must have done it for him. Roy leaned in, his breath tickling Jason’s lips. The space between their lips was almost closed. Jason’s heart raced. Roy closed his eyes and closed the gap…

BLAM! A gunshot rang out in the ballroom and both Roy and Jason ripped themselves from the moment that almost was. Screams followed. People were rushing off the floor, out of the building.

“Jig’s up, Hood!” The cigar man from earlier was standing in the door way with a gun pointed at the both of them. Jason whipped his head to look at the back door and the woman from outside was standing there with a crushed Roybot in her hand.

_Shit._

“Red Hood? Here?” Maggie asked. She and Fen were some of the only people not to take the opportunity to run.

Jason had to think quickly, he pushed the almost-kiss to the back of his mind and weighed his options. No one in the room knew what he looked like, new was Roy looked like, out of costume. They were both practically dead men, more literally in his own case. They had the element of surprise. Two of them, what looked to be six armed persons, and a few dozen civilians. They could take out the two closest to them quickly.

“Red Hood?” Roy asked, confusion lacing his voice. Ah, so Roy had chosen innocence. Not as fun as Jason’s quickly forming plan, but maybe that was for the best.

“A criminal, love, to think a criminal would ruin a charity gala!” Jason said, maybe laying it on a little too thick.

Fen laughed and before Jason could blink, a gun was pressed to his back.

“Don’t play dumb. My man heard you in the bathroom.”

 _Shit._ Hadn’t Roy said it was clear? He looked over to Roy. Roy looked as confused as him, but there was a plan forming behind the expression.

“Your man?” Jason asked.

“Yes, my man. Didn’t expect you to be so pretty without the hood, though. That’s a surprise.”

“I don’t know whether I should be offended or not.”

“Told you people figured you were ugly, hiding your whole face,” Roy snorted.

Jason shot him a withering look. Roy flicked his eyes up and then back at Jason. Jason took a second to look up and saw the chandelier. Got it. Get airborne.

“Why are you here? What were you hoping to find?”

“Well, since you’re being so helpful, if you could tell me where I can find Ivanko Renaldo, that would be great.” Jason took a tentative step to the side and the gun dug further into the small of his back.

Maggie started laughing. “My father? That old has-been’s been replaced. By me.”

“You said you worked politics.”

“Yeah, I do now, don’t want to waste my time peddling, I’ve got big plans. Shame. I did enjoy your company.”

Jason took in the new information. If Maggie wasn’t involved in the drug ring…well, she could be lying. Criminals lie. Before he had any more time to think on it, Roy was behind him. He felt the gun slip from his back and discharge into the ground.

He jumped forward. Three men rushed him. He quickly knelt down and didn’t have to look to know Roy was inches from his hands. With all the strength Jason could muster, he threw Roy upwards, carried by his own momentum and Jason’s.

He didn’t think twice before barreling into the three men coming at him, caught one off guard enough to fall so hard he wouldn’t get back up. The other two tried to grab him, Jason dodged the holds and smashed their heads together. Gun shots rang out, but Jason quickly kicked a table at Fen, and whipped his head around to see two women cry out as their wrists were pierced with shiny, sharp crystals from the chandelier. They dropped their guns. Roy dropped down onto the last man and he could hear the bone of the man’s leg break.

“Impressive,” Fen droned, clearly anything but impressed.

“Zhu? Wouldn’t happen to be any relation to the Lucky Hands Triad, by chance?” Roy tossed Jason a gun and he cocked it.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Well, that is why the man asked.”

Jason pointed the gun at Fen. He knew he would be faster than the woman, but he also knew that killing her would start an avalanche of people gunning for him, more so than usual. And if Roy was right, if somehow the Ivgene Clan and the Lucky Hands Triad were now tied together, he was sure there were a million plans in the works. A million plans they could know about if they got out of here and to the safehouse.   

“Look Hood, I liked talking to you, to your little Arrow boyfriend, so let me cut you a deal,” Maggie stepped a little closer to the two of them, that chilling tone in her voice from earlier somehow more chilling. “You two can walk out of here, despite giving my men hefty hospital bills, if you just give me back whatever information you came for. Simple as that.”

“Well, you crushed the bot, so…”

“Don’t insult my intelligence, Arsenal,” Maggie spat, “This is the new generation, you’re going to have to try harder to fool criminals now.”

“Point taken.” Roy put up his hands, “I’m reaching into my coat to give you my phone. Triple locked, I can give you the passcodes.”

Maggie held out her hand. Roy gently placed the phone in her hand.

“Alright, passcodes are-”

The phone dropped to the floor and Maggie smashed it with her foot, her heel breaking into the screen.

“Okay, or you could do that I guess.”

Jason sighed dramatically. “Are we done here? Can we leave?”

“Just remember I know what you look like now, Hood. Your little game of espionage won’t work again.”

“Maggie, we could kill them here and now, just be done with this thorn in our side!” Fen sounded frustrated.

“I don’t want that blood on our hands, sugar. If we kill a bat…more will follow.”

Fen looked between her wife and Jason and she lowered the gun reluctantly.

“Well, if that’s all, have a lovely rest of your night ladies!” Jason smiled and waved, and Roy rolled his eyes. They stepped over a knocked over table and headed out of the building. The cool night air hit them both.

Silence hung between them, the adrenaline wearing off, as Roy unlocked and hot wired a black car. They drove in silence back to the warehouse, the usual after-mission banter missing. Jason’s hands twitched.

Failure was probable at least some of the time, but it never felt good.

They dropped the car a few blocks from the warehouse and walked in silence. Jason looked over at Roy. Was it sadness? Disappointment? Was it for the failed mission…or for that kiss that almost was?

Stepping into the darkness of the warehouse, Jason knew he needed to break this awkwardness. Quiet was appreciated, but after so long of having a talkative and energetic partner like Roy, it unsettled him in a way it never used to.

“Well, at least we have a back-up phone.” He opened a drawer on Roy’s workstation and pulled out a few smart phones.

“It’s not the mission that’s bugging me, Jason.”

Jason snapped his head up from the phones.

“Besides, it was your phone she smashed, not mine,” Roy reached into Jason’s coat pocket and pulled out a phone. He waved it a little and unlocked it, revealing encrypted data files. Jason laughed.

“When did you…”

“During the dance. Noticed Fen’s body language changed, knew we’d been figured out.”

Smart. Jason didn’t say it out loud, but…wait. What was stopping him from saying it out loud?

“You’re smart.” Jason cringed. Wasn’t exactly how he wanted to say it, but the shocked look on Roy’s face made him wish he said it more often. “You’re…the smartest person I know. Even when I fail to have a back-up, you’re always there with one.”

“Jaybird, you okay?”

Jason clenched his fists. He plucked the phone from Roy’s hand and set it on the table. Roy watched him carefully as he backed him up against the work station.

“The fact that you’re always surprised when I compliment you…it means I should do it more.”

Their bodies were pressed into each other now. Jason’s heart wasn’t beating quickly, like it always did when he thought about how he felt for Roy. He reached up to slip the suit jacket off of Roy’s shoulders. Roy shrugged it off and it landed with a soft thud onto the table.

“I should tell you how smart you are, how capable. How much I trust you and rely on you. I should…”

Roy reached over to loosen Jason’s tie. Jason shed his jacket. Jason’s breath hitched as Roy tentatively undid his top shirt button.

“What else should you tell me?” Roy’s voice was thick, something akin to molasses and hope.

“I should tell you,” Jason cupped Roy’s face in one hand, “I should tell you I love you.”

Roy closed the distance between them quicker than Jason could blink. In an instant, they were pressed flush against each other, their lips moving in tandem. Jason’s hands wandered, touched everything he had been holding himself back from touching. A tongue slipped into his mouth and Jason moaned.

“I love you too, fuck, I love you too. I didn’t think…” Roy’s words were mumbled into Jason’s mouth.

Jason reluctantly pried his mouth from Roy’s, touching their foreheads together.

“I should have told you sooner, should have told you a thousand times by now. I was scared, Roy, I was scared I’d ruin this.”

Roy ran his hand through Jason’s hair.

“You couldn’t ruin this if you tried,” Roy pressed a kiss to Jason’s lips, “Couldn’t get rid of me. I was scared too…”

Something occurred to Jason, in that moment. He moved slightly away from Roy and looked curiously at the man.

“The mission, we could have impersonated anyone, couldn’t we? You chose…”

Roy laughed and blushed. The way his skin lit up made some of his freckles disappear. Jason wanted to kiss them back.

“You caught me, Jay. My evil plan revealed. I figured, well, I thought maybe, you know.”

Jason shook his head and captured Roy’s lips in another kiss. He reveled in the way they fit together, in how GOOD Roy was at this.

“I’ve been scared too,” Roy mumbled after a few moments. “Thought I was reading into things, seeing what I wanted to see.”

“Looks like we were both being oblivious.”

“Looks like.”

Jason gripped Roy by the hips and lifted him onto the table. He slotted himself in between Roy’s legs and pressed a kiss to his neck.

“Well, why are we wasting time now? Better make up for it.”


End file.
